NORRISTOWN >> In 2014 former Philadelphia sportscaster Donald Tollefson was arrested, pleaded guilty and withdrew his guilty plea in connection to a charity scam he is accused of running.

On Dec. 15, Tollefson, 62, of Philadelphia, was scheduled to be sentenced in Bucks County Court after pleading guilty in September to charity fraud and theft by deception for allegedly offering sporting trip packages and failing to deliver them. The day he was scheduled to be sentenced, he withdrew his guilty plea in front of Judge Rea Boylin and said new evidence had been brought to his attention. Previous reports state Tollefson also prayed to God and decided it would be best to fight for his innocence.

In February, Tollefson was arrested by Warminster police, accused, in particular, of selling away game packages for Philadelphia Eagles’ games. The games came and went and those who purchased the tickets did not hear from Tollefson.

In September, he pleaded guilty to those charges.

At a news conference at the corner of Broad and Master streets in Philadelphia a week after withdrawing his guilty plea, Tollefson would not discuss the new evidence with reporters. He also said he is looking for an attorney or team of attorneys to take on his case.

Tollefson had a $10,000 agreement with his former attorney, Sharif Abaza, for pretrial work that included facilitating the open guilty plea in September. Abaza did not recommend that Tollefson withdraw the plea and is no longer Tollefson’s attorney.

Following Tollefson’s Dec. 22 news conference, Abaza said he signed the agreement with Tollefson to maintain a professional relationship, but did not expect to be paid. He said that any money Tollefson could raise should be given as restitution to the victims.

Abaza said he took on the case because he did not want Tollefson to go through the system alone.

Tollefson’s troubles with the law revealed an underlying drug and alcohol problem he said he has been fighting for the past 45 years. He said he has always had a drinking problem and became addicted to prescription pills after a car crash in March 2008.

On Dec. 22, Tollefson said he had been sober for 438 days and credited his recovery to the people of North Philadelphia, where his apartment is.

“Most of that time has been spent in North Philadelphia,” Tollefson said referring, to his ongoing sobriety. “What they may not have in money, they have for concern and caring for other people. Every time I felt down, being isolated and alone under house arrest here in North Philly, there were people to cheer me up.”

Tollefson also credits God for his recovery and said on Dec. 22 that anyone going through addiction recovery without the help of religion is likely to relapse.

The trial against Tollefson is scheduled to begin in Doylestown on Jan. 5, 2015.